Three new Apple patent applications were published today by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office:
• United States Patent Application #20060259503: “Customizable, dynamic and on-demand database-informer for relational databases ” (Filed: May 12, 2005)
Techniques for displaying information associated with a database are disclosed. A database-informer displays information (or additional information) about various database objects displayed for a user. The database-informer may be presented to user as a tool-tip. However, the database-informer can be customized and dynamically constructed based on various variables that are dynamically determined at runtime. As such, the information can be dynamically determined based on variables stored in different tables and provided on-demand when the database-informer is invoked by the user. As a result, database users can be provided with customized and up-to-date information without having to view different tables.
Full application here.
• United States Patent Application #20060256090: “Mechanical overlay ” (Filed: May 12, 2005)
Mechanical overlays for placement over touch sensing devices are disclosed. The mechanical overlays include one or more mechanical actuators that provide touch inputs to the touch sensing devices.
Full application here.
• United States Patent Application #20060256037: “Active enclosure for computing device ” (Filed: July 12, 2006)
A computing device is disclosed. The computing device includes a housing having an illuminable portion. The computing device also includes a light device disposed inside the housing. The light device is configured to illuminate the illuminable portion.
Full application here.
Neo reports for MacNN regaring the “Mechanical overlay ” patent, “This powerful patent provides several great examples of mechanical touchscreen overlays which could be used with a future iPod, cell phone, PDA, remote control or gaming device. Furthermore, the patent provides us with a unique glimpse into how touchscreens will eventually replace traditional MacBook keyboards in addition to providing users with the ability to transform the new keyboard-GUI into being a piano keyboard amongst other great and fun applications.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Disney patent application shows ESPN video content coming to wireless iPod – November 09, 2006
New Apple patent application for ‘Actuating User Interface for Media Player’ published – November 09, 2006
Three new Apple patent applications relating to ‘digital media assets’ published – November 02, 2006
Apple files major chameleonic iPod touch display patent – October 26, 2006
Apple patent hints at new type of Mac laptop – October 24, 2006
Apple patent application suggests iPod satellite radio support – October 19, 2006
Apple’s new iTV universal remote control patent application published – October 12, 2006
Apple granted six new patents – September 12, 2006
Apple files US patent application for ‘Multi-functional hand-held device’ – September 07, 2006
Apple patent applications show display actuators for electronic devices – August 16, 2006
More info surfaces regarding Apple’s latest iPod touch-screen patent filing – July 21, 2006
Patent application shows iPod capable of live wireless video conferencing – June 13, 2006
Apple files applications for multipoint touch screen, media file patents – May 11, 2006
For more related articles, scroll to the bottom of any page and search MacDailyNews for “patent.”
Don’t know how they give us the touch and feel of a keyboard from a flt touchscreen though…
Looks to me like good patents for Apple to have in their armoury.
Wowzers…iTablet here i come!
arrrggggh! one with my new zune and i already hate it!!! it keeps freezing and locking up. any suggestions?
macnewbie, return in and try to forget you ever made such a terrible decision.
Macnewbie, buy an iPod instead.
Magic word first, as in first post, even though it isn’t…
macnewbie, get rid of it and buy an iPod. Seriosly. Don’t waste your time and money on a Zune!!! You’ll be way happier with an iPod.
Flush it down the toilet. Seriously you’ll feel better…. like the feeling you get when you have had a great morning zune after your first cup of coffee.
macnewbie, I have a suggestion. Take it back and buy an iPod.
It doesn’t look like a very elegant solution. Very Un-Apple like.
I mean are we seriously suggesting that we would be expected to bolt on different interefaces for different uses.
Say you have a cuboid device with a faceplate. We can attach a numberpad or a clickwheel depending on whether we want it to be a phone or an iPod.
Aren’t Apple supposed to be more creative than that. I want an elagant device that intuitively does all of those things, without me having to attach different keypads for different functions.
Ughghg, I’m sure hoping they know something about this that’s not immediately obvious.
Macnewbie,
I won’t even go as fas as to tell you to get an iPod. Just take back the Zune. Baby steps, man.
Good luck.
Okay, I think it’s pretty clear macnewbie that your only choice is to go back and exchange it for an iPod. I think everyone hear agrees with that judging by the comments.
i agree with Macaday about the sense of touch. The ipod with the 4 touch buttons above the scroll wheel was probably the worst ipod in terms of interface. Let’s not revisit that, Apple.
A dual touch-screen turns the MacBook into a DS extreme =)
“I don’t want anything else
When I think about you
I touch my Mac”
“I don’t want anything else
When I think about you
I touch my Mac”
“I don’t want anything else
When I think about you
I touch my Mac”
Macnewbie,
Stop taking the piss out of us!
Hey macnewbie…bust it open, I heard they are full of corn & peanuts.
“Don’t know how they give us the touch and feel of a keyboard from a flt touchscreen though…”
With an overlay that provides tactile feedback. Did you even read
the article?
@Billy Ash, man this is Apple we’re talking about here. Do you
think that they suddenly lack vision? Patent apps are always crude.
They probably didn’t even disclose the primary intent of said
devices. They are cautiously vague, but still covering their asses.
Actually, assuming the overlays can be made in a robust material and the ‘docking’ solution is sufficiently elegant, this could well be a real innovation that helps people use computers to manage tasks that are not well suited to traditional keyboard/trackpads.
A real-world example would be a DJ using Native Instruments’ Traktor 3 product: it is undoubtedly possible to use Traktor using a mouse (although I’m reminded of someone who once commented that using Illustrator with a mouse is like drawing with a brick), but if you want to really make the product sing you should probably be using a MIDI surface controller.
With these patents, Apple would presumably make it possible for NI (or any third-party specialist like Mackie) to create a virtual control surface for Traktor or Logic or Final Cut or whatever that simply replaced the “standard” keyboard. This would be a major shift in product design: Microsoft can say what it likes about having interfaces that are ‘task-oriented’ (although they are still actuated by a keyboard and a pointing device), but Apple would simply wipe out whatever advantage MSFT believes it may deliver in Vista by delivering task-oriented machines with mission-specific input/control systems.
Genius.
Not sure about having to change between overlays on the move in a cellphone, gameplayer, ipod-y thing, but in a MacBook I’d love to be able to play the keyboard on the move. Although it might not be practical seen as you could only fit like an octave and a half in, and it might not feel like a proper keyboard.
Also, anyone else noticed that in the pictures, the keyboard is some weird, made-up layout that would play some weird, eastern-sounding scale?
Hey I just thought, it’d be great to be able to take off your macbook’s keyboard to have a display-spanning system (although it’s been proved that tall, thin displays are counter-intuitive).
Then, you could use a stylus to write when you don’t feel like typing. Or better yet, draw. Yeah, it’d be good for graphic artists, and anyone who wants to draw, although 2 displays would be expensive and the touch-sensing system had better be almost as good as a graphics tablet or it wouldn’t be worthwile.
MW….anyone…can create masterpieces with the new MacBook DS Artists Edition 2007 Professional Ooh Look At The Vista
(Sounds like it’s from M$…but at least it doesn’t run windows.)
Cornholio, you are ill man! I love it. Spit Coke all over my 23″ HD Cinema Display.
the Active enclosure for computing device is for different and changable colorful designs for the imac crt enclosure,,,,remember? stupid
looks like a MacBook Pro DS! The Nintendo DS for us grown-ups! Imagine, no more touchpad… no more mouse! Looks sweet!